The initial version of the famous P-51 Mustang to go into USAAF service was the dedicated fighter-bomber variant, the A-36A “Apache”. This book describes and illustrates the design and development of this version of the most famous American WWII fighter. It contains: Scale plans * photos and drawings from Technical Manuals * Superb colour illustrations of camouflage and markings, rare b+w archive photographs. Colour photos of the preserved aircraft.

The first of the Mustangs to see US service was the A-36 dive bomber version. This aircraft was built in rather small numbers and so was only operated by a few units. About a year's worth of combat was enough to see their numbers dwindle to a level where it was impossible to maintain extant airframes due to lack of spares, and there just were not enough left around to take care of combat losses. So pretty much mid-1943 to early/mid 1944 was it for the A-36's tenure. It was mostly used in the Mediterranean theatre, though some, in concert with P-51As, were used during the Burma campaign.

Many readers undoubtedly call the A-36 the Mustang, but the author feels that it should be called the Apache and provides his reasoning behind it. I am not sure what the crews called it, but it may well have just been called A-36. The plane was an excellent dive bomber, despite having difficulties with the dive brakes. These would sometimes not open on one side, a problem when one is in a dive. Many attempts to fix it were made, but there were still issues. Trust a Navy pilot to suggest that they just open them prior to diving and if they did not work, do not use them. A DOH moment if there ever was one.

The A-36 was powered by an Allison engine and so was basically an aircraft that operated at low level. It was also used for armed recce and a half dozen were used by the RAF's 1437 Flight with much success. However, like USAAF units, the planes quickly succumbed to combat losses and with no spares or replacements, their RAF life was short. However, the aircraft was an excellent dog fighter at the low level and while not their job, several shot down German planes with one pilot becoming an ace on the A-36.

This new book in MMP's Yellow series takes a look at the design and development of the A-36 from the initial design through till the last one rolled off the production lines. There were no variants aside from a few recce installations. The history section covers the use of the aircraft both by the US and the RAF.

At least three examples are extant with one of the rebuilt back to flying status. This means that there are a goodly number of color photos for the walk-around section of the book. This section not only has great detail images, but is additionally enhanced by period photos and sections from the maintenance manual. I should add that there are quite a few period color images of these planes, something that is always nice to see. There are also a goodly number of the color profiles we have all come to expect from MMP books. As an added bonus, there are scale plans included in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scale, the latter two provided as huge foldouts that provided additional detail drawings.

Overall, it is a most complete look at one of the world's more interesting fighters. A book that continues the excellence of MMP products and one that I can highly recommend to you.

April 2012

InternetModeler.com  2013-05-07

By Chris Banyai-Riepl

While much is known of the North American P-51 Mustang, both technically and operationally, the original design, the A-36, remains somewhat of an unknown. Designed as a dive bomber, the A-36 did fairly well in its limited combat life, with several future aces getting their start in the type. This latest title from Mushroom Model Publications in their Yellow Series examines the North American A-36 Apache, both from a developmental standpoint and an operational history.

The book begins with a short overview of the development process that led to the A-36. This is a fairly short section because that story itself is fairly short. Approached by the British to license-build the P-40, North American instead told them that they could produce a better aircraft that would be powered by the same engine. With tight deadlines set, North American guaranteed that the prototype would be flying in 120 days. They missed that mark, mainly because the engine wasn't delivered on time, but the first aircraft rolled out of the factory a mere 100 days after the order had been placed. Following that developmental history, the book provides a few pages of 1/72 scale drawings (1/48 and 1/32 scale drawings are provided on a separate folded insert), then it's on to the operational history.

Operationally, the A-36 saw action in the Mediterranean and the Far East. The book is split up into the initial operations in North Africa, followed by Sicily, and then on to Italy. A separate chapter covers the A-36 ace Michael T Russo, the only pilot to achieve ace status in the A-36. Following that is a chapter on A-36 operations in the Far East, and then the book turns towards the aircraft in British hands. Only a handful of A-36 aircraft were used by the British, all on loan from the USAAC. They were used in limited fashion in combat.

The remainder of the book provides a technical description of the plane, followed by a comprehensive photo walkaround of the type. There is a surviving A-36 that is in excellent condition, and this aircraft makes up the majority of the walkaround photos. Finally, as common in Mushroom Model Publications, there is a color profile section that documents some of the more interesting A-36s out there.

Model Airplane International 85  2013-05-07

Amazon.com customer review (3)  2013-05-07

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book

March 30, 2013 By Chris Aukes

Amazon Verified Purchase

Excellent book, many illustrations. Great color drawings with some 3 views included. Interesting airplane , I learned a lot about it I didn't know.

Aerostories.org  2013-05-07

So far the North American Apache had been little studied as such. The best book published to date is the book written by Peter C. Smith - Straight Down published by Crecy - 256 pages which gives all what you need to know about the genesis and operational career of A-36 Apache and this in a comprehensive way. The objective of Mushroom is not to do better than Peter C. Smith, but surely different as with only 48 pages dedicated to the history of the Apache, it won’t be enough anyway to beat Smith’s book. However, Mushroom publication provides without a doubt an excellent complement to the book written by Peter C. Smith. There are some new pictures and interesting and as usual with this collection many stuff for modelers, ie line drawings to scale (1/32, 1/48, 1/72), profiles color, close-up shots of parts of the aircraft ... Although the book by Peter C. Smith remains unavoidable, the Mushroom A-36 Apache book is sufficient in itself for both modelers and historians. It would be a shame to miss it.

Phil Listemann

AIR Modeller 42  2013-05-07

Kitmaniac.com  2013-05-07

Designed as a fighter, the A-36 Apache has planned and designed in 1941 it was acclaimed as one of the most advanced combat planes of the time. Elegantly designed, the A-36 was the ancestral of the world Famous P-51 Mustang. The A-36 Apaches became fighter-bombers specialized in dive bombing missions and fly from MTO to Pacific with great value I your actions.

The book:

This is another great title of the famous series from MMP Books, the books from this series are awesome, the high quality of research, images and technical drawings become the book a historical reference for modelers and aviation history researchers. As common in the Yellow Series of the MMP Books, all book is full of images, many of this never seen before, are wartime color images, museum aircraft and private walk arounds, the images and utilization of the original technical drawings don’t give space for doubts about the details of the aircraft. The Scale planes come on the 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32, with very accurate designs. One thing that have special attention from me is the excellent genealogy of the plane on the initial pages, this give us the opportunity to understand the development of the Apache, the difficulties find in the development of aircraft, especially in relation to dive brakes. The technical drawings, many of this come from the original manuals of the aircraft, detailed all parts of the plane. The engine, supercharger and control surface areas are very nicely represented in the designs. On the final pages we find an excellent collection of profiles representing different models and paints used by Apache’s along of your operational life.

Conclusion:

This book is a full technical history of this uncommon aircraft of the World War Two. I have the pleasure to say that this book keep the tradition of the yellow series and give us a excellent research base for modelers interested to build an Apache. The high quality of edition and the deep research presented in this book became him essential for any people interested in aviation history. This book is highly recommended.

Special thanks to MMP Books for the sample review.

Vini Pompeo

Model Aircraft June 2012  2013-05-07

Air Modeller Issue 42, June/July 2012  2013-05-07

Amazon.com customer review (1)  2013-05-07

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars

By Jim Davis TOP 1000 REVIEWER

This book is in MMP's "Yellow Series" (it is No 6130). Like all volumes in this series it is a European B5 (6-1/2" x 9"), square bound, card cover. It has 128 pages. Yet again we have a colorized black and white photo on the cover. Why MMP bothers doing this when the interior contains period color photos is a mystery to me. Evidently the editor did not find them suitable for some reason.

The book itself is quite excellent and covers an obscure aircraft in great detail - a strength of the series, in my opinion. The book breaks down in standard Yellow Series fashion. There are 42 pages of text which cover the background, design, development, and service history of the aircraft in detail. The text is supported by numerous black and white photos and 3 pages of 1/72nd scale drawings by Juanita Franzi. These are quite well done and show the various details of the aircraft. The drawing are reproduced in 1/48th and 1/32nd scale on an unbound foldout so make sure this is included if buying secondhand. There are 6 pages of technical description supported by contemporary technical drawings. There follows 3 pages of period photos, and then 59 pages of detail color photos of surviving examples again supported by period drawings and modern artwork. The last 18 pages are excellent color profiles and some plans again by Ms. Franzi. The A-36 did not sport many schemes in its career but an RAF scheme and postwar racing scheme do provide some variety.

All in all, very enjoyable and highly recommended. The Allison Mustangs get short shrift and I hope that the Mustang I, IA, and II variants can also get their due in future volumes.

IPMSUSA.org  2013-05-07

Reviewed by: Paul Mahoney, IPMS #8943

The latest issue in MMP’s ever-expanding “Yellow” series is specifically dedicated to the North American A-36A Apache.

The first 47 (out of 128) pages of this book are a mixture of text and photos describing the development and combat experiences of the A-36. The first few chapters cover the design and development of the A-36. The following chapters are each dedicated to an individual combat theater in which the “Apache” was deployed. Usage in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and the Far East are covered. 2 pages are specifically dedicated to a history of the only A-36 ace, Captain Michael Russo. After this, there is a brief discussion of the British evaluation (and subsequent rejection) of the aircraft. The final portion of this section is a technical description of the A-36A-1-NA which includes several photos and technical drawings from the official Technical Manual for the aircraft.

The 2nd half of the book, delineated by light blue colored pages, is filled with photos and profiles. First in this section are 4 pages of wartime color photos, followed by 58 pages titled “detailed photos.” In here you will find photos, mostly of restored warbirds and museum aircraft, covering every aspect of the A-36. Detail photos of the aircraft abound – everything from the cockpit to the landing gear and the dive brakes. The author provides a bibliography listing over 20 sources of additional resources. Finishing off the book are 18 pages of very well done color profiles. In addition there is a fold-out insert that has 1/48 and 1/32 scale plans (1/72 plans are included within the first section of the book).

This is definitely a worthwhile addition to your library. There are tons of clear photos (including some from the author’s collection) that will provide excellent detailing information, and the color profiles will certainly provide some modeling inspiration. Whole-heartedly recommended!

Hyperscale.com  2013-05-07

Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner

F i r s t R e a d

The exploits of the P-51 during WWII are legendary but it wasn’t the first of its breed to go into action with the USAAF. That distinction belonged to an earlier version from NNA’s “Mustang” family… the A-36 Apache.

Initially the British Purchasing Commission approached NNA (North American Aviation) in early 1941 to license build Curtiss P-40s. Instead the NAA president offered to design a completely new aircraft using the same Allison V-1710 engine. The logic being that this could be done in a similar amount of time it would take to tool up for the P-40; thus the British named “Mustang I” came into being.

At first the USAAC were not interested in this British specified machine. They presumed to already have adequate supplies of “Pursuit” aircraft, either in production or on order. Later versions did interest the USAAF however and although the budget for Pursuit types was empty, there was still money available for “Attack” aircraft. So North American Aviation offered up a version based on the Mustang’s good diving characteristics. This was accepted and a contract was signed on 16 April 1942, thus paving the way for the development of this new “fighter-bomber”.

The A-36A “Apache” acquitted itself well in combat and operated in the Mediterranean and Far East. In its short career, the American A-36 pilots carried out over 23,000 combat missions and dropped over 8,000 tons of bombs. After debuting in June 1943, it was removed from USAAF combat Units approximately one year later.

Between the soft card covers are 128 A5 sized pages. The author’s narrative is pleasant to read and is divided into a logical sequence of chapters. Naturally the birth of the “Apache” starts proceedings before we head into the aircrafts military debut.

Its areas of operation are covered in chapters relating to Sicily, Italy, and the Far East as well as mentioning the aircraft’s role in British hands. Michael Russo is purported to have made “Ace” in the type and a section has been allocated to his exploits.

The meat of the book now starts with a 6 page technical description of the A-36A-1-NA.

58 pages of detail photos follow which include close-ups of the fuselage, wings, canopy, cockpit, engine, wheel wells, armament, dive brakes and much more. These come not only from surviving airframes but from numerous images and illustrations from the aircraft’s handbook.

Colour profiles are not forgotten and these number 28 in total. Top and bottom views are displayed where appropriate as well any detail relating to nose art. The artwork is beautifully done and is accompanied by informative captioning.

Modellers will be pleased to see that scale plans are also included. These are courtesy of Juanita Franzi and include a few of the field modifications found on some airframes. Those printed as part of the book are to 1:72 scale while a special insert caters for 1:48 and 1:32 sizes.

Conclusion

This is an excellent “one stop shop” for the enthusiast.

I had forgotten about my Accurate Miniatures kit and this publication gave me the enthusiasm to get it onto the workbench. It allows the reader to have a good overview of the aircraft in question and also provides the information necessary to add some extra detail to your chosen model.

Another worthy addition to Mushroom Models “Yellow Series”.

Scalemodellingnow.com  2013-05-07

Review by Geoff Coughlin (May 2012)

Our thanks to Mushroom Model Publications for supplying our review sample. Get this excellent title here now at: www.mmpbooks.biz

MMP’s Yellow series is building up into a bit of a one-stop-shop in terms of reference material relating to specific aircraft subjects as does the Orange Series and what a reference resource this is. You can sum this title up in one word – stunning!

The initial version of the famous P-51 Mustang to go into USAAF service was the dedicated fighter-bomber variant, the A-36A “Apache”. This book describes and illustrates the design and development of this little-known version of the famous American WWII fighter. In service in the Mediterranean theatre and in the CBI area, the A-36 proved to be an effective attack aircraft, but also able to hold its own in air-to-air combat and interestingly, the first Mustang “ace” achieved his kills flying the A-36.
All-colour profiles…

You’ll see from the accompanying images that the quality of the profiles is simply stunning, with great weathering effects that look real; certainly some inspiration here in terms of possible modelling subjects.
Scale plans too!

Yep, you even get scale plans in 1:48 and 1:32 scales – how good is that? Photos and technical drawings from manuals are also included enabling you to create a highly detailed model if that’s what you want. What will also help are the great all-colour walkaround detail images of the real aircraft.

This really is a comprehensive package and what’s particularly impressive about this Yellow Series is the depth of detail across the board – it truly is a one-stop-shop reference for the type.

Highly recommended

Geoff C.

Cybermodeler.com  2013-05-07

By David L VeresSubject

Date of Review July 2012

Subject - 5 stars

Writing - 5 stars

Images - 5 stars

Profiles - 5 stars

Drawings - 5 stars

Clarity - 5 stars

Binding - 5 stars

Overall Rating - 5 stars

Review

MMP’s absorbing account details the first P-51 Mustang version in USAAF service – the Allison-powered A-36A “Apache” fighter-bomber.

Coverage then turns meaty for modelers. Author Skulski seasons his superb study with technical minutiae, dozens of color vintage and detail shots, period photography, drawings from Apache service manuals, and 1:48 and 1:32 plans. A selective bibliography and 18 pages of gorgeous artwork by the matchless Juanita Franzi conclude this vital volume.
vBuilding ACCURATE MINIATURES’ or HOBBYCRAFT’s kits? Make MMP’s North American A-36A Apache your guide to this fascinating fighter. I certainly have.